As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Due to consumer demand for smaller, denser and more powerful information handling systems, manufacturers strive to implement new methods to meet these demands. One such method includes the development of easier plug-in connections for computer components. Typically, plug-in connections aid in assembly of information handling systems because the connections use design information such as specification criteria to align mounting holes for each component. When a computer component is placed in a mounting location, the plug-in connection for the component is located based on specification data. Because the location of the connection is known, designers can set the connector to align with the plug-in connection such that automatic plug-in or blind plug-in of computer components is possible. In one example, the location of a plug-in connection for a hard disk drive (HDD) is determined from dimensions given in a HDD specification.
Typically, the dimensions for any specifications are given with a certain amount of manufacturing variances or tolerances (e.g., +/−0.5 millimeters). By adding each measurement including tolerances between the mounting locations and the plug-in connections on the device, a location of the plug-in connection, plus or minus all of the tolerances, can be determined. Generally, the tolerances are insignificant. However, given the demand for smaller and denser components, tolerances are becoming a significant factor in determining the location of the device.
For instance, a plug-in connector having two millimeters (mm) of contact or wipe for connecting to a mating connector may require at least one millimeter of wipe or contact area for an adequate connection. If the tolerance is determined to be 0.5 mm, an adequate connection is formed because at least 1.5 mm of contact remains. However, if the measurement between the mounting location and the plug-in connection is based on different measurements each having a tolerance, the sum of the tolerances determines the total tolerance for placing the computer component. For example, if the sum of the tolerances were +/−1.5 mm, based on the two-millimeter connection, the available contact area for the connection would be 0.5 millimeters and not enough to meet the design requirements of the one-millimeter of contact.